Need More Singapore
I have to start this post by saying, DO NOT DO WHAT I DID!
I scheduled a 24 hour layover in SIngapore on my way to the Maldives and I regretted it as soon as I left the airport. 24 hours may have been just good enough in Siem Reap but it is not sufficient for Singapore. I think three days is probably the right amount of time depending on your pace.
Let’s get it out of the way. The Changi airport is one of the best I’ve been in so far. There is no shortage of dining options or entertainment options. There are several areas throughout the airport where you can sit and watch a movie. There is an actual movie theater that you can visit for no charge. Art is everywhere, much of it garden themed, but all of it making for great photo opps. Unfortunately, I did not have time to visit the new Jewel section of the airport, which is supposed to provide an even better transit experience. If you do have just a layover in Singapore they offer tours of the Jewel, but recommend that you have at least 5 hours during your layover to participate. Make sure you grab a handful of hard candies as you go through customs. It sounds trivial but those candies have the most satisfyingly smooth texture of any hard candy I’ve ever had.
Sunflower garden at Changi. Photo by J. Lynn
I stayed at the Andaz Singapore, which is an amazing hotel. Again, I wish I’d had more time to enjoy all the hotel had to offer including their several restaurants and bars. The view from my room was exquisite, giving me an expansive view of the Singapore skyline. Aslo,the Andaz is conveniently located very close to Haji Lane and Bugis Village; perfect for shopping.
I spent several of my 24 hours at the National Gallery. Lucky for me that I happened to visit on an “open house” day which meant that admission to all exhibits was free. It was also one of the last weekends to catch the featured exhibits on minimalism which was a real treat. Notably, the yellow light exhibit which was a singular room flooded with a bright yellow light. It was quite trippy because anything you looked at in the room (other people being the only other objects) they looked washed out in grey scale.
For lunch I’d made a reservation at the National Kitchen by Violet Oon. The National Kitchen as you may have guessed is housed within the National Gallery. It’s a small restaurant with a sophisticated ambience. Reviews of this restaurant seem to be mixed and after eating there I can understand why. I ordered the meatless meatball rendang with jasmine rice. The flavor of this dish is great; it’s a bit spicy and a bit lemony. The texture however, I found to be rather odd. As a completely vegetarian meat alternative style dish, this shouldn’t have surprised me but it did ruin my experience a bit. So again, don’t do what I did. Order the meat! There is a beef rendang on the menu along with satay which I saw others order and became hopelessly jealous of. The portion size is substantial, I was given five hearty meatballs. I might have finished them if I could’ve powered through the texture but I only managed half. I’m not sure if every meal comes with complimentary dessert or if it was obvious I didn’t enjoy my meal, but I was given a coconut ice cream for dessert that was drizzled in gula melaka syrup which you may know as palm sugar. This was the highlight of the meal. I still think the National Kitchen is a good choice for lunch. The service is great and I am pretty sure I just should’ve stuck with my first instinct and ordered the chicken satay.
National Gallery. Photo by J. Lynn
Cloud forest. Photo by J. Lynn
Next I hopped in a Grab and headed over to Gardens by the Bay. You can walk around most of Gardens for free but I suggest purchasing a ticket to visit the domes as well. $28 will get you access to both the flower dome and the cloud forest. I was looking forward to the tulip exhibit in the flower dome but I was a bit too early and most of the tulips were not yet in bloom. The cloud forest on the other hand was a complete show stopper. Words really can’t describe how breathtaking that experience is. Make sure you take the trail up to the top of the dome so you can get a bird’s eye view of all the foliage. This is also another great place for some photo opps. On the way back to the hotel I took a quick trip down Haji Lane and the beautifully colored houses alone are worth the stroll.
Gardens by the Bay. Photo by J. Lynn
The city of SIngapore is beautiful and amazingly clean; in that way it reminds me a bit of Tokyo. You won’t have any trouble navigating either by MRT or by Grab (rideshare). My tips for making the most out of your SIngapore get away? Check the list below.
Stay more than 24 hours. At least 3 days is my recommendation.
Hit the “tourist” sites. It’s cliche but I found them to be very enjoyable and if you are the photo taking type then you want the classic Singapore photo opps for IG.
Walk around. I always like to do a little walking in whatever city I’m in. There are just some things that you only pick up on by setting out on foot.
Save a few hours to explore the airport.Trust me, you want to see it and you don’t want to be rushed. I’d say 4 hours should give you the gist of the place. Having not visited the Jewel, you can take this suggestion with a grain of salt, I can’t say you won’t get sucked in!
One thing I didn’t do on my list was visit the observation deck at Marina Bay Sands. Do this one in honor of me, please.
Eat at a hawker center.
Budget:
RT from Manila on Cebu Pacific ~$120
One night at Andaz Singapore in Superior Deluxe King room ~$300
